New Delhi (NVI): Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) must ensure that India’s borders with friendly neighbours are not misused for activities against the country, while seeing to it that people living in border areas are not adversely affected, Home Minister Amit Shah said today.
“India has an open border of around 2,450 km with Nepal and Bhutan and the SSB has performed a good job in ensuring that not a single infiltrator sneaked into our country,” the Home Minister said while presiding over the 56th Raising Day Parade of the SSB.
He praised the force for nabbing more than 50 intruders, mostly Pakistanis, at the Indo-Nepal border in the last one year, besides seizing contraband items including drugs worth Rs 380 crores.
He also acknowledged that the nation cannot become a global economic power, if its borders are not secure, especially when the country has hostile neighbours that are constantly engaged in cross border terrorism, insurgency, illicit trafficking of humans, drugs, fake currency, cattle and others.
He complimented SSB for the dedicated and outstanding performance over the years in securing the borders of the country and giving supreme sacrifices to protect the citizens in Naxal-affected areas.
“The jawans of SSB have always kept their duty before their life. I bow my head to salute this fearless dedication and commitment towards the security of the nation,” Shah said.
The Minister informed that by the end of 2020, over 12,000 vacancies in both Gazetted and Non-Gazetted ranks would be filled to make SSB stronger, besides easing the work pressure.
The Home Minister while hailing the lady officers who marched shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts and earned accolades with their brilliant performance within the country as well as UN Missions abroad said said that at present 22 women jawans of the force are participating in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Congo.
He said that the Prime Minister Narendra-led Modi had initiated several welfare schemes for jawans. Adding that in near future, the government would ensure that jawans spend at least 100 days with their family.
He encouraged the officers and jawans of the force to scout for in-house talent in sports, who would represent the country at Olympics.
He also paid tributes by laying wreath at the Martyrs memorial, inspected the parade and awarded gallantry medals to officers and jawans.
